Have you ever found yourself in complete darkness? The darkness I’m talking about is where you can’t even see your hand if you hold it in front of your face. Complete darkness can be quite unsettling. When you are in that kind of darkness, you may have no sense of where you are or where you are going. You cannot see who or what may be facing you. When you find yourself immersed in complete darkness, you long for a flashlight, a lantern, a candle, or any source of light.
Before creating the world in which we live, the earth was formless, empty, and surrounded in complete darkness (Genesis 1:2). So, God created light, then separated it from the darkness. Light was the first thing God created and the first thing that He said was good. Light is a part of God’s divine nature. He wraps Himself in light (Psalm 104:2).
As children of God, and followers of Christ, we are also children of the light. But, this was not always so. Just as the earth was once surrounded in darkness, because of the evil of sin, we were also surrounded in darkness (Ephesians 5:8). But, because of His infinite love for us, God brought us out of the darkness through His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. When we choose to walk in His light, when we follow that light, we will never again walk in darkness (John 8:12). When we live by the truth of God’s Word, we no longer live in darkness, but instead live in the light. And, when we live in the light, our lives will reflect the fruit of that light, which is goodness, righteousness, and truth (Ephesians 5:9).
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be more like Him. Jesus wants us to be the light of the world. He wants us to shine our light, of which He is the source, into all the world. When we do, then people will see the things that we do, the good that we do in Jesus’ name, and God will be glorified (Matthew 5:14-15). This world is still surrounded by or filled with darkness, a spiritual darkness. Our calling is not to keep the light to ourselves, but to display it for all to see. Let your light shine so that, through you, others will be drawn to the source of that light, Jesus.
A Worshiper's Journal 